Where are we on Phish in 2023?

40 years has an extra weight to it. You know that part of “Will the next milestone happen?” Serious, yeah, but we’re making this count because we never know.

Because we never know.

The thing we love about Phish right now is their back. We really don’t know what’s happening from song to song.

Show opening potential jam of the year Ghost? Word. A Reba that was awesome with a nailed composed part? Yeah. Timber that got its jam? Ok is that what’s up? Wolfman’s jam gets its own jam? I Am The Walrus? Vince McMahon meme me please.

And that’s just the first set, similar to Sunday’s show (tho Sunday gets the clear first set nod), which has been the dominant set of these MSG shows aside from Saturday. For these shows, it’s almost like the preceding shows in the tour were a warmup, which… Huntsville N1, Alpharetta N2 and Star Lake N2 were a warmup?! But here we are in the venue the band plays its best at, and they’re delivering night in and out.

Set 2 gives us a good 3rd quarter with a Sample Jample, a good KDF (sure Syracuse whatever), Golden Age that stays in its structure for the most part but is wonderful. Oh, and the YEM vocal jam is good and the 4 song encore sends us home right.

These guys sound GOOD. Do what you need to and go see one or all of these last 3 shows. Sure you have an easy breezy fall tour and likely a new years run at YEMSG too, but man I’m having a lot of fun right now.